Butterflies and Foxes
by Omicron the IceQueen
Summary: Level Workers saga. Sometimes you just can't understand what your pet is on about. As long as the turbo-fox isn't batting at humans again the Wreckers aren't worried about Thumper.


**Daily Challenge: 1/30/13**

**Butterfly**

A blue-grey ear twitched before both rotated forward. The large male turbo-fox perked up from where he had wedged himself in between his master and the scrap pile he was leaning on.

Topspin chuckled and the dark blue mech reached down to scratch his pet's currently raggedy looking mane, "See somethin' yea like Thumper?" the Wrecker Second grinned as the fox's gaze didn't change even as the mech used a brush to work out some of the shedding 'old fur,' "Primus sometimes it's a pain in the aft that you're half long-furred." He sighed, wondering what it was that made the 'half and half' foxes need to shed.

Thumper tilted his head up to let Topspin get under his chin, but kept his yellow and blue optics on whatever he was tracking. When the petting and brushing stopped, the turbo-fox wiggled free, popping into sigh and startling a few of the human N.E.S.T. members, but not enough to raise weapons as they already been introduced to the mecha beast. Ears up and tail fluffing, Thumper took a few steps forward, seemingly fixed on thin air.

"What's gotten into him?" Lenox asked, shading his eyes to watch the fox crouch into a recognizable stalking pose with head lowered and moving only in halting steps.

"Who knows with foxes," Ironhide grunted from where he was cleaning out his right knee, barley looking up from his taste.

"Probably spotted a critter," Roadbuster added in from his spot working on a weapon just inside one of the opened hangers. "Or just a data-mite." He added dismissively.

"Could be, didn't think there was enough energon on this planet." Topspin shrugged, settling a bit more and crossing his ankles as he watched his pet bound off, running around in the suddenly clear space. _What the frag is he after?_ "At least he's not chasing humans anymore?"

"God don't remind me of that," Lenox face-palmed before running his hand through his short hair that was re-growing from being shaved off thanks to exposure to some type of raw energon. Cleared now he was fine, but now images of an impromptu 'training exercise' to give new recuts a taste of 'combat' without the risk of, you know, turning a Decepticon loose on them and having the resulting past to scrap off the ground.

The Wreckers along with Ratchet and Ironhide had not been able to stop laughing as Thumper the turbo-fox bounded around the nearly panicking NEST recruits as well as batting a few around as well. It had been an interesting day, ending with Topspin [when he could stand again] having to lift his pet off a young man Thumper gleefully kept trapping under his forelegs. The higher ups, including Optimus, hadn't been so pleased despite it being an oddly effective.

Now though, the fox was after something.

"What's a data-mite?" Lenox asked, finding it something he rather deal with instead of trauma induced by fox.

Roadbuster gave a metallic _currrum_ sound as he tapped a claw thoughtfully on the barrel, staring at a minuscule spot in that way Lenox had long since figured out. The Wrecker leader was searching and comparing languages, probably American verses Cybertronian (or 'level worker' as Ironhide had said once or twice in referring to the Wreckers when they were talking in a dialect they didn't want anyone to understand) to translate. After a twenty full seconds Roadbuster turned and gave a quizzical chirp at the other two mechs, arching an optic ridge as Lenox almost snorted his water and had to had Epps, just walking over, give him a thump on the back.

"Yeah, they do that now and then." The darker man grinned, almost used to the Wreckers, "Babble a lot more in their native fax-machine too."

"Learn any new curses?" Lenox asked dryly, moment causing him to look over at Thumper who had enthusiastically started digging under the paved road with happy barks and waving tail. "The hell did he find?" he asked before glancing at the semi animated discussion that was going on silently over their collective heads. "Translation?"

"Closest yea got to it lil' mech is 'ghost.'" Topspin said, belatedly. "Or somethin' to do with rabbits and dust..." The blue Wrecker reached up to tip his protective visor up, regarding the two humans with green optics and all too failures look that said _what is with you weird little organics_?

"Dust-Bunnies?" Epps supplied, at this point he knew most of all of what the Wreckers knew and under stood on his native language. They tested out words and phrases on him since landing on the planet almost, it was something the man found he liked. Unlike most of the Autobots, the Wreckers were actually seemed to want to _learn_ the alien words and how best to use it.

"Yea!" The Foreman, Epps knew that was the right title, "Something that's there an' isn't. Data-mite. Foxes always go after them."

"Like a cat-fancy." Epps further translated, small movement caught his attention as well as a splash of bright yellow. He watched the butterfly's react path away from Thumper's movement. And he suddenly put two and two together while Thumper wiggled into his hole that was big enough to hide his head and forequarters. Maybe he wouldn't point this out and let everyone puzzle over it.

But... Epps was sure once more the Turbo-fox was more like a dog.


End file.
